Mark of a Beastly Kickstarter

Pardon my pun in the title.

I strolled over to check on the Silent Legions Kickstarter yesterday and noticed something...

Oh good, they're up to 666 backers. Wait, WHAT?

Quick, nobody else back this project.

Ok, so that's not what I actually want. I wish Kevin Crawford (whom I secretly suspect to be a caffeine powered robot) as much success as possible.

Still...if this project had stopped right there it would have been a very poetic coincidence.

Why is Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition So Expensive?

On the day I backed the most excellent Silent Legions Kickstarter, I had first contemplated buying the brand new 7th Edition of Call of Cthulhu. Thanks to a cool group of gamers I met in Korea, I finally got to take Chaosium's version of the game off my always growing list of "games I own but have never played" last year. We played in a food court, under florescent lights, surrounded by Burger King and Taco Bell patrons, and it was still fun.

Better yet, my oldest son played with us and had a good time. I passed on the original Kickstarter but was watching with great anticipation for the new edition to finally see release. For those who don't know, Call of Cthulhu is not a game that changes much from edition to edition. Unlike, say D&D, which is basically a totally different game every ten years or so, a new edition of Call of Cthulhu basically just means cleaned up typos, maybe a format change here, a little rules tweak there, and some new cover art.

With the 7th Edition, however, the designers decided for the first time to make a few substantial tweaks to the game. Now, according to my limited understanding, none of these changes are on the radical level of, say 3rd to 4th edition D&D, but they're a pretty big deal to a game that has remained largely the same for decades. I was intrigued enough to seriously consider purchasing the new rules, even though I own a copy of both 5th and 6th edition.

The Kickstarter, like most Kickstarters, ran rather late. I'm not privy to backer updates, but the original project was supposed to deliver October of last year. So, what, 14 months past schedule? Not quite Appendix N Adventures here (2 years, 5 months counting and STILL waiting), but late. Whatever, though, right? The books are out!

Over on the Chaosium website I found the Keeper Rulebook, which it describes thusly:

"This book, the Keeper Rulebook, contains the core rules, background, guidance, spells, and monsters of the game. It is intended for use by the Keeper of Arcane Lore (the Keeper) — that player who will present the adventure to the other players. You must have at least one copy of this book to play Call of Cthulhu. The other players, the Investigators, should have one or more copies of the Investigator Handbook, containing expanded rules for character creation, skills, occupations, equipment, and more."

Oh, crap, so I need two books to play? The game is traditionally a one book system, but I'm a D&D guy, so I'm cool with the concept. So, how much for the Keeper Rulebook?

$27.95

For a PDF. Not a PDF and a hardcover, mind you. Just the electronic download.

That's a bit pricy for what essentially boils down to some bandwidth, but ok. How about the other required book?

$22.95

So, if I want to run Call of Cthulhu for my son, all it would cost me is $50.90 for 2 PDFs?

I understand the high value roleplaying games provide for the cost and I'm all about Chaosium making a profit. However, the book was Kickstarted. They already got $561,000 to make sure this book is a reality. These PDF sales are just gravy for them. I can only speak for myself, here, but when I like a book I own in PDF and plan to use it at the table, I generally buy a print copy as well. A print book I'll pay $30-$60 for, depending on quality, and possibly more if it's a really nice item. Chaosium has taken the money I'd have spent on 2 print books and 2 more reasonably priced PDFs (say, $10 each?) and transformed it into $0.

Electronic publishing is a very new thing and I'll be glad when it sorts itself out economically. I know I'm quibbling over a relatively small amount of money here ($200 or so), but the only way I can vote is with my dollar. With bigger companies like Apple and Amazon, I expect the price fixing ($8 for an ebook version of a 30-year-old novel that I can get in print for $2? Thanks Amazon!). With a small company like Chaosium, though, it really irritates me.

The book exists. In order to make the book, you had to create electronic versions, so those exist by necessity. I will give you more money in the long run (as opposed to zero money) if you lower your damn price.

I can't believe I'm the only gamer who thinks this way, am I? Is Call of Cthulhu such a niche product that this is where the market has naturally set the price, or are we being gouged for what is essentially electrons and bandwidth?

Puzzle Box

The Puzzle Box

During a recent session of Rise of the Runelords, an attempt to teleport from a remote region back to Sandpoint went awry. According to the rules, the misfired spell was supposed to send the PCs to a similar area, defined as “an area that's visually or thematically similar to the target area.” As they were aiming for the Rusty Dragon Inn, it seemed clear that they should be in a tavern somewhere, but where? I pulled out the Inner Sea World Guide and had them generate a random number using some wacky zocchi dice. A few rolls later, we determined that the hapless adventurers had somehow landed in the city of Katheer, the capital of Qadira (gateway to the east). What would a startled, pseudo middle-eastern barkeep do if a few adventurers materialized in his business? Try to sell them something, of course!

 

When I was in Turkey, one of my favorite memories was browsing through the wares of the various shops in the area known as “the alley” just outside the Air Force base there. So, adapting my best Turkish accent, I began to recreate that experience at the game table. Recovering quickly from his initial shock, the friendly merchant launched right into a sales pitch. While his son brought hot tea to these new customers, the man began to demonstrate the quality of his many fine, hand-carved puzzle boxes. I must have done a fairly convincing impression, because one of my players immediately gave up some of his hard-won gold for his own, authentic, Qadira puzzle-box.

 

Presented below are the stats for the item, more a curiosity than a useful hiding place. The flavor text is written for my own home-brewed world of Terren. For a Pathfinder campaign, assume these items come from Qadira rather than Hzar. There are two versions below, with stats for different rule sets.

 

D20 VERSION

 

Puzzle Box: This carved wooden box can only be opened using a specific combination of twisting parts, hidden buttons, and sliding panels. Puzzle boxes are one of the many exotic wares for sale in the Hzari caravans that travel the great trade route merchants call the River of Spices. The overall complexity and number of steps required to open each box varies, from two steps for the simplest puzzle boxes to hundreds for particularly intricate versions. Most puzzle boxes are of the five-step variety, as the Hzari consider five to be the luckiest of all numbers.

Opening a puzzle box requires one or more rounds and a successful Disable Device check, as shown below. A character makes this check with a +10 bonus if he knows the correct pattern for that specific box.

 

Complexity	Disable Device	Time to Open	Cost
Simple	DC 10	1 round	25 gp
Moderate	DC 20	1d6 rounds	50 gp
Complex	DC 30	2d6 rounds	250 gp

 

 

5E VERSION

 

Puzzle Box: This carved wooden box can only be opened using a specific combination of twisting parts, hidden buttons, and sliding panels. Puzzle boxes are one of the many exotic wares for sale in the Hzari caravans that travel the great trade route merchants call the River of Spices. The overall complexity and number of steps required to open each box varies, from two steps for the simplest puzzle boxes to hundreds for particularly intricate versions. Most puzzle boxes are of the five-step variety, as the Hzari consider five to be the luckiest of all numbers.

Opening a puzzle box requires one or more rounds and a successful Dexterity check, as shown below. A character makes this check with advantage if he knows the correct pattern for that specific box.

 

Complexity	Dexterity Check	Time to Open	Cost
Simple	DC 10	1 round	25 gp
Moderate	DC 15	1d6 rounds	50 gp
Complex	DC 20	2d6 rounds	250 gp

 

 

 

D&D 5E Rules: Foresight

Like a lot of D&D fans, I’m digging into the new 5^th Edition to see what makes it tick. There is a lot that’s familiar, and my overall first impression is good, but it will take an actual playtest and a decent chunk of time to really find the new game’s merits and warts. One easy thing I can do is take a look at rules that I don’t care for in 3E and see if and how they’ve changed in the latest version.

To start things off, I’m going to look at a spell that has gotten quite a bit of derision from my
longtime 3E/Pathfinder players. That spell is Foresight, a 9^th level arcane spell that seems rather underpowered. Read on for a brief summary of the spell’s effects in 3.5/Pathfinder and 5^th Edition, followed by a brief discussion of the differences.

3.5 / PATHFINDER VERSION (BOTH IDENTICAL)

Foresight 

Level: 9

Casting Time: 1 standard action

Duration: 10/min per level

This spell grants you a powerful sixth sense in relation to yourself or another. Once foresight is cast, you receive instantaneous warnings of impending danger or harm to the subject of the spell.

For the duration of the spell, you are never surprised or flat-footed. In addition, the spell gives you a general idea of what action you might take to best protect yourself and gives you a +2 insight bonus to AC and Reflex saves. This insight bonus is lost whenever you would lose a Dexterity bonus to AC.

When another creature is the subject of the spell, you receive warnings about that creature. You must communicate what you learn to the other creature for the warning to be useful, and the creature can be caught unprepared in the absence of such a warning. Shouting a warning, yanking a person back, and even telepathically communicating (via an appropriate spell) can all be accomplished before some danger befalls the subject, provided you act on the warning without delay. The subject, however, does not gain the insight bonus to AC and Reflex saves.

What does that second part mean? Is the GM supposed to allow the subject a kind of “do-over” against a triggered trap or other avoidable danger? It seems like that's the intention, and it's certainly more powerful than a mere +2 AC / Save bonus, but it lacks any kind of game mechanic to support it.

Why is the lesser spell effect detailed while the (potentially) greater effect left totally to abstraction? I'd accept such a spell in a less detail-oriented game like Basic D&D, but in Pathfinder, this seems to imply the spell is very underpowered for it's level. It basically boils down to nothing more than a meager bonus to AC and Reflex saves.

D&D 5^th EDITION VERSION

Foresight

Level: 9 Spell

Casting Time: 1 minute

Duration: 8 hours

While under the effect of this spell, the caster can never be surprised. He gains advantage on all attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws. In addition, other creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls against the target.

DIFFERENCES

The 5^th Edition version has a longer casting time (1 minute vs 1 standard action), but lasts effectively all day (8 hours vs about 3 hours). As to the effects, the meager bonus of +2 to attacks and reflex saves is replaced by advantage to attacks, ability checks, and saves and disadvantage on attacks against the target.

While the math behind advantage and disadvantage is a bit complicated (see here for more), it basically boils down to a +5 or -5 modifier. Thus, we could say that the spell gives a +5 bonus to attacks, ability checks, and saves and gives all enemies a -5 penalty to all attacks against the target for 8 hours. Perhaps not as obviously powerful as other 9^th level spells (power word kill, for example), it has certainly been beefed up from 3E.

Petty God: Somnau

Here is the second of the two gods I designed for Petty Gods. I designed Somnau almost entirely while hanging out at the Fort Sam Houston Chapel while my oldest son attended Boy Scout meetings. As before, the stats are for Labyrinth Lord, as per the terms of the original book. Pathfinder version forthcoming. 

Name: Somnau
Symbol: An iron rod, partially wrapped in white linen bandages.
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 90' (30')
Armor Class: 0
Hit Points (Hit Dice): 77 hp (17 HD)
Attacks: 2 (rod and touch)
Damage: 1d6+1 / 1d6
Save: F16
Morale: 10
Hoard Class: XV, XVII
XP: 7,250

Some wounds heal completely and leave no trace of scarring; but not to the eyes of Somnau, petty god of forgotten injuries. Somnau teaches that mortals should be thankful for those wounds that have left no lingering effects and should never forget the lessons of failure. Mortals who don't learn from their mistakes and forget the injuries they suffered in the past risk drawing Somnau's wrath.

Somnau appears as a gaunt old man in a wide-brimmed hat. He is scarecrow-thin and marked with hundreds of small lacerations and bruises. In his left hand, Somnau carries an iron rod, which he wields with deadly effect despite his frail appearance. He can also attack by magically transferring some of his own injuries onto his opponent's body with a touch. Armor is little help against this attack (treat the target as unarmored, although magical armor still adds its “+” bonus). Each successful touch inflicts 1d6 damage to the target and heals an equal amount to Somnau’s hit points. Alternately, Somnau can use his touch to heal others. Up to 4 times a day, he can touch a single target to heal all but 1d4 damage and end all adverse conditions (this functions exactly like a heal spell).

Any damage Somnau inflicts leaves lasting wounds that heal much slower than normal. It takes three full days of rest to restore 1 hp damage caused by Somnau's hand or rod; magical healing is only half as effective as normal.
 
REACTION TABLE (Use Wisdom instead of Charisma for Modifier) 
Friendly: Provides a “healing touch” for up to 1d4 targets.
Indifferent: Lectures targets about forgotten wounds and the importance of not repeating past mistakes.
Neutral: Questions targets about past injuries and the lessons they learned.
Unfriendly: Demands targets accept a damaging touch as a “penance,” reacts with hostility to those who refuse.
Hostile: Attacks to wound but not kill, intending to inflict grievous injuries that serve as lessons to the victims.

Petty God: Kwunndle

Here is the first (and my favorite) of the two gods I designed for Petty Gods. I'm not sure if this one was ever illustrated because it doesn't appear in the Original Petty Gods PDF over on Gorgonmilk. These stats are for Labyrinth Lord, as per the terms of the original book. Pathfinder version forthcoming.
 

Kwunndle (God of Misplaced Objects) 
Name: Kwunndle

Symbol: A dozen wavy vertical lines represent the reaching fingers of Kwunndle

Alignment: Chaotic

Movement: 90' (30')

Armor Class: 2

Hit Points (Hit Dice): 50 (12)

Attacks: 2 (hands)

Damage: 1d6

Save: T12

Morale: 8

Hoard Class: XVII

XP: 2,800

Obsessive Kwunndle is the god of misplaced items. His beady eyes can peer from the corners of far-away rooms, where he snatches unattended objects with his impossibly long fingers. Kwunndle cannot just snatch whatever he wants; only things that have slipped from their owners' conscious thoughts are his for the taking. Kwunndle appears as a squat blue humanoid with countless unnaturally long and bendable fingers. He is completely invisible when looked at directly and must be viewed out of the corner of the eye to be seen (which is reflected in his armor class).

Kwunndle is naturally cowardly and avoids contact with others. He is very covetous, however, and his greed will sometime drive him to seek out mortals to barter for their possessions. More often, others come to Kwunndle and try to convince him to return some precious lost trinket. In any case, the god will only accept lost or stolen goods in exchange for his acquired "treasures."

Kwunndle possesses the abilities of a 13th level thief. When forced to fight, he strikes from the shadows and uses his near-invisibly to flee if things go against him. He attacks with his long, pliable fingers, wrenching and choking his enemies. If Kwunndle hits with both attacks in a round, he can automatically strangle his opponent for 2d6 additional damage. This damage is ongoing unless Kwunndle releases his grip or the target breaks free.

Kwunndle Reaction Table (Not modified by any ability score, see below)*

Roll      Result

2-3       Very Interested: Will attempt to bargain for one of the characters' possessions.

4-6       Interested: Will attempt to steal one of the characters' possessions.

7-9       Neutral: Will ignore nearby creatures.

10-11   Unfriendly: Will hide in shadows from nearby creatures.

12        Hostile: Will hide in shadows and possibly attack.

* Modify the reaction roll based on the amount of jewelry, gear, and finery the character is wearing, from -2 for opulent wealth to +2 for obvious poverty.

Petty Gods

Petty Gods is the lesser-remembered victim of Grognardia’s closure, a really cool idea for a book that remains unfinished, 4 years after its inception. Inspired by the old Judges Guild product The Unknown Gods, the book was meant to be a collection of fan-created deities for use with the Labyrinth Lord D&D clone. Unlike books such as Deities and Demigods, Petty Gods would detail gods who each controlled a very small and often eccentric sphere of influence. Since they were so limited in power, most of these gods could be defeated by a party of swords-and-sorcery heroes, meaning that Petty Gods could double as a monster manual of sorts.

What’s particularly frustrating about this book is that, for all intents and purposes, it’s done. Hundreds of gods were submitted and approved. Volunteers stepped forward and provided art for each submission and a nice piece for the cover. One of the authors of Unknown Gods even wrote an intro for the book. According to one of the final posts on the subject, Petty Gods needed nothing more than some layout work. Whatever kept it from completion, it seemed dead when Grognardia closed its virtual doors.

Petty Gods was ideal for someone to just step up, tie a bow on this thing, and put it out there for the world, which is (kind of) what the guy behind the Gorgonmilk blog did in 2013 (three years after the original project began). Alas, the Gorgonmilk version of the project is vaporware at this point. Greg Gorgonmilk had big goals for Petty Gods, adding sections on knights and foods and other things, and attracting submissions from the likes of Michael Moorcock and James Ward. My best guess is that the project just got too unwieldy for one person’s volunteer efforts.

Greg did put out a mostly-finished version called Original Petty Gods, which is supposedly the original Grognardia version, but I know that it doesn’t contain one of my two deity submissions. It seems unlikely that I’m the only one to have a god vanish from this version of the book, leading me to believe that it’s not a truly finished product.

However, I still have the stats for both of my “petty gods,” as well as the art for one of them. I’m not artistic at all, so I really treasure this piece, drawn by a stranger who took my brief words and drew a very nice illustration. Seriously, I’ve written a lot of homebrew RPG junk over the years, and only VERY rarely has any of it gotten illustrated, so a special thanks to Mark Allen (whoever you are).

Since Petty Gods and everything associated with it was meant to be open content and since at least one of my gods somehow vanished from the one version of the game that is available, I’m going to repost them both here on my blog. The gods in question are stated out for Labyrinth Lord, but I plan to convert their stats to Pathfinder and eventually post both versions. I might even do a version that’s compatible with 5E, but we’ll have to see.

Video Link: A Brief History of Dungeons and Dragons

Perhaps a bit of an over simplification, but a nicely done short piece overall.

http://www.theverge.com/2014/8/19/6044893/a-brief-history-of-dungeons-dragons

My Wife Made Me Do This

I’m getting out of the Army in a couple of months. Right now, I’m on transition leave, which used to be called terminal leave. In the simplest terms, it means that I’m on a three-month vacation. I’ve got a lot of time on my hands. I’ll be starting school in a few months, but until then I’ve got a little time on my hands.

“You should really write your own blog,” my wife said to me this morning.

“I don’t have anything to write about that a bunch of other people haven’t already said a thousand times. Does the world really need another stupid gaming blog?”

“Does it matter? Who would you be writing for? Other people, or just for yourself? I would give you something to do, give you some practice writing before you start college, and give you a place to get things off your mind.”
I really can’t argue with any of that. Plus, I already have a blog, I just don’t update it.

So…I’m back…I guess. Since no one reads this, I'm talking to myself. If I don't post real content on here today, I'll eat a bug.